Shona old world novel translated into English

HARARE - National Arts Merit Awards (Nama)-winning writer Wellington Kusema’s old world novel, Dzimbabwedande, has been translated into English.

The 348-paged book, first published four years ago by the Heritage Press, was translated by University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturer Loveson Tapiwa Gopo.

“Old world novels help students to make some comparisons of life issues in the traditional and modern society as the book carries a number of themes including political, social and economic ones, ” Gopo told the Daily News.

“The author engaged me to translate the book from Shona into English. It was a real challenge considering that it was my first book translation.

Previously, I used to translate poems as well as medical and legal texts among others.”

The UZ lecturer, who took almost a year, to translate the voluminous book, is convinced that he retained the original “feel” of the book.

“The author used some deep Shona idioms and proverbs but I did my best to translate to English without compromising the meaning of the book,” he said.

Apart from being translated into English, Dzimbabwedande was also adapted into a play by the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) two months ago.

It was adapted into a two-hour play by Tatenda Mangosho, a UZ theatre arts lecturer.

“32 actors helped to bring the book alive. The play helps audiences or viewers to interpret the complex book easily,” said Mangosho.

According to Mangosho, the UZ will take the play to various Zimbabwean arts festivals including Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo.

Kusema, the writer of the book, says he is impressed by the academic community’s reaction to his book.

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